


Classroom Distractions

by dalishprince (witchprince)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-22 17:13:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4843655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchprince/pseuds/dalishprince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lavellan is having trouble paying attention in class due to the construction going on outside and the construction worker who's making all that racket.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HEYO HEYO IT'S YOUR GIRL. do YOU like dragon age fanart? yes you DO! do like me potentially drawing art to this fic you might like after you read it FUCK YES YOU DO! well we've got ONE of those things down at my ol dragon age tumlblr right here: http://princeofthedales.tumblr.com/  
> now if you're inclined you can even message me ON THERE about this fic HOLY CRAPOLE THAT'S PRETTY NEATO

 

Adelaide tapped her foot. She wasn't particularly fond of these lectures. Mostly how dismissive they were of her culture. She didn't know when she signed up that the instructor, who insisted the students call him by his first name, would be so adverse towards the Dalish. She knew other elves weren't all in awe of her people, _Sera_ certainly wasn't, but damn. Every other day it was 'and here's another thing the Dalish are wrong about', because he was there, right? She had been so excited when Elvhen History became a course available. Unfortunately, so far, it was a complete let down.

 

Not that Solas didn't have some really interesting things to say about the ancient elves, because he did! It's just that he'd often get distracted and start talking about the other things he's studied heavily in. Yeah, the fade is great, whatever, not the class she signed up for so she didn't give a fuck. The other students would frequently use this to get him off topic. The majority of the class were shems who probably thought this would be a good class to pick up hot elf babes. How disappointed they must have been to see the only elven women in the class consisted of: a surly mage who sat in the back and turned away anyone who spoke to her save the qunari who sat beside her, Sera, as mouthy as she was incredibly gay, who only took the class to sleep through it, and Adelaide. She was far from what most would consider an 'elven babe', she had very angular features and a permanent angry expression whether she intended to or not. It was the vallaslin, in truth. She wasn't the soft, fragile maiden they were expecting and so glad for it. Not that it didn't stop them from trying to flirt with her.

 

She dreaded coming to this class. Although the bits of it were really interesting, it was only the small portions she could hear because of all the noise. Skyhold University recently started ongoing construction. In the middle of fall. Starting with the history building. _Right outside of this classroom._ Elvhen History was the only class she had in that room and the time perfectly aligned with the time that the workers were hammering away. Or drilling... or whatever it was they did out there. Usually she would just try to drown out the noise and focus on the notes on the board. Not today. She sighed as she set her pencil down. Sera was asleep. After weeks of complaining about not being able to sleep due to the noise she finally had the idea to bring headphones. Adelaide turned her head to look out the window. The first time she had thought to do so since they started the semester two weeks ago.

 

It was something she had regretted not doing sooner as soon as she did it.

 

Outside the window the workers were very busy. A much smaller group of people than she would have thought would make that much noise. Her eyes went immediately to the huge qunari, a somewhat redundant statement, who was hammering at something. Honestly, she didn't care what he was hammering at. He could hammer at _her_ if he wanted. With arms like that? Yeah, he could hammer her any day.

 

From then on Elvhen History quickly turned into Qunari Construction Worker Ogling 101. One day she swear he caught her looking and he flexed, like on purpose, _flexed_. She slammed her fist on the desk when he did that. Sera woke up and heads turned towards her. Embarrassed, she tore her eyes away from the window and looked at her notes. They were just a bunch of squiggles and in very small print the words 'hot damn'.

 

Another day, before it had started getting cold out, he took his shirt off. Normally he didn't wear anything that covered that much, but it was still very nice. Very, very nice. She thought about it all day and in fact until the next class. But, the fall gets colder, and eventually he had to put on more clothes. Much to Adelaide's disappointment. That didn't stop her from watching, though, it just made her stop looking at his body and start looking at his face. That only made it worse.

 

"He sounds very dreamy, dear, I'm sure he's the kind of man any girl would throw himself at." Dorian said when she talked about the worker. He was cooking dinner, it was his turn after all, and she was sitting at the bar in the kitchen dangling her feet off the too tall stool.

 

Dorian's father had bought the apartment for Dorian when he and Adelaide finished their Junior year. When Adelaide decided she wanted to go on and get a doctorate and Dorian decided he couldn't stand the idea of going back to Tevinter after college, the two became roommates. Adelaide had a very small group of friends. Sera and her met in the very weird club they were both in, The Red Jennys, and although they had some differences in opinion became fast friends. The blonde elf was a few years younger than Adelaide and has yet to declare a major despite it almost being her junior year. She and Dorian met Cassandra at a book club they held in the university library every month when they were Freshmen. Cassandra was about to graduate then, but she and Adelaide have kept in touch. If she were honest, she always had a bit of a crush on the Navarran woman. Dorian and her met during orientation when they kept accidentally going to the same booths and eventually decided to just walk together. Now the two are best friends.

 

"Oh, he's not dreamy, Dorian. He's fucking hot." Adelaide sighed. "And I call dibs!"

 

"You can't call dibs, I've never even seen him." Dorian defended.

 

"I am preemptively calling dibs. Who knows if or when you'll ever see him, but I don't want you fucking him when I saw him first and finders keepers." She childishly crossed her arms.

 

"I will respect your 'dibs', but are you even going to make a move?" Dorian glanced at her over his shoulder.

 

"Fuck you! I might!" The redhead fumed. "You don't know me!"

 

"I have known you for almost nine years, Adelaide Lavellan, you're going to chicken out." He knew she hated it when he called her a coward.

 

"Oh, yeah, what am I supposed to say?" She cleared her throat and put on a noticeably more feminine voice. "Oh, hi there, I have just been checking you out for the past month or two! Every other day! Just wanted to know if you were interested in eating out tonight. Because I know a great place located between my left and right thigh."

 

"Ha! That would certainly be one way to go about it!"

 

"Nope. No. No. Maybe if I see him in a real people setting where real people are in the real world. But for now! No. He is just some eye candy to help me get through Solas's garbage class and deal with the noise." Adelaide raised her hands defensively. "No more talking about him until you see him!"

 

"Have it your way, but don't complain to me if the semester ends and you have not said a thing to that man." Dorian turned off the stove and turned to her. "Also, by the way, dinner is ready."

 

"Finally."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in a bar and there's alcohol being drunk SO if that's something you know is NOT A GOOD WITH YOU DON'T READ IT SORRY

"AND THEN HE SAYS, 'If you know so much about elvhen history, why did you even take this class, Miss Lavellan?'. What the fuck? I can't call him by _HIS_ last name but he's just gonna go ahead and call me by _MINE_? FUCK THAT DUDE, HONESTLY?" Adelaide downed more of her whiskey and ran a hand through her short red hair. "But don't! I hope no one EVER does!"

 

"If it makes you feel betta I also failed that test." Sera grinned widely.

 

"Why would that make me feel any better? _All you do is sleep in class_." Adelaide ruffled her friend's hair and giggled a bit.

 

"And all you do is drool over that construction worker." Dorian reminded her.

 

"Ugh, fair enough. I hope the construction ends soon. I don't wanna have to do extra work to pull up my grades." She sighed heavily, laying her forehead on the bar.

 

"Don't put your head on that, who knows what's been on there." Dorian lifted his best friend's head back up.

 

"I know." Sera wiggled her eyebrows, causing the other elf to laugh. Dorian just made a sound of disgust.

 

It was Sera's idea that they go out for drinks. It was _also_ Sera's insistence that brought them to this bar specifically. The roommates normally have drinks at a small, chic club not far off from their apartment, or in the comfort of their own home. The drinks at this bar weren't as expensive as their usual place, but also in general not as nice. It was deemed 'rustic' by Dorian before they even entered the building and had been quickly earning more distaste with him as the night progressed.

 

Only about an hour or so after they got there that the bar started to pile up. Adelaide wasn't much for crowded spaces she was too short to properly maneuver her way through crowds and usually had to have Dorian make a path in front of her. Which is what the trio decided to do when Sera stood on the bar and informed them she had scouted an area of the bar that was less crowded towards the back right corner. The two elves made a train behind their much taller friend, holding on to the back of each other's shirts.

 

"By the void, Sera!" Dorian cursed once they reached their destination. "It's just as crowded over here!"

 

"Well, that's what happens when you're a slow poke!" Sera poked Dorian in side. Just as Dorian was about to say something in response.

 

"There's space over here." A deep voice welcomed. Adelaide bristled at it. No one had the right to sound like that. The trio turned to see seven people sitting in a semi-circle in an otherwise uncrowded spot. Adelaide practically jumped out of her skin when she saw familiar grey skin and horns. Fuck.

 

"Thank you ser!" Sera hummed, too cheerfully, pulling up a seat at a nearby table. She fucking knew. She arranged this whole thing, somehow. Adelaide narrowed her eyes at her friend and begrudgingly took a seat that had her back faced towards the qunari.

 

"Dorian." Adelaide whispered. "Remember our friendly chat before dinner a few weeks ago?"

 

"You'll have to be more specific, we have so many chats." He spoke at full volume. Dorian's trademark smugness was not endearing at this moment.

 

"You know, about dibs and finding a good place to eat out?" She still kept her voice quiet, shifting her eyes towards the qunari's direction without turning.

 

"Ah..." Dorian smirked. Then he turned his attention directly to the qunari and his company. "My friend here tells me she's seen you lot working on construction down at SU."

 

"I bet she has." The qunari responded. She could hear a smile on his lips. Fuck. She felt her face get hotter. Hotter than it already was from the crowded bar and alcohol, that is. "We're The Bull's Chargers, we're just one of many construction crews hired to work on Skyhold University."

 

"One of the few that has a qunari, though." Another voice chimed in. Their accent was similar to Dorian's, Tevinter?

 

"So I take it you're the Bull part of 'The Bull's Chargers'?" Dorian prodded.

 

"Dorian, leave-" Adelaide was about to chide him when she was interrupted by that booming voice.

 

"The Iron Bull, at your service." The qunari introduced himself.

 

"Of that I have no dought." Dorian smirked, dropping his voice to more seductive tones. He really needed to learn what the word dibs meant.

 

"I'm sure Lavelly, here would like some of that service." Sera barked out. The red head swatted at her, telling her to stop through her teeth. Sera just laughed at her.

 

Adelaide decided to turn and face the Chargers, since it was apparent that this has become a conversation. Aw, fuck. She regretted it because as good as Iron Bull looked from the window of class, he looked even better up close and personal. She gasped audibly when facing him, earning herself a low chuckle. Creators save her from this slow, painful death.

 

"This is Dorian, that's Sera, I'm Adelaide." She introduced the three of them.

 

"That's Krem, Skinner, Rockey, Stiches, Grim, and Dalish." Iron Bull pointed to the individuals sat around the table. That was when her eyes broke from his form to the others around him.

 

"Oh, you're dalish too!" Now that she had tore her eyes away from Bull's fucking massive arms she noticed the blonde woman's vallaslin. She was always excited to talk to a cousin. "I didn't think any clans roamed around this part of Fereldan! Are they far off?"

 

"Here we go..." Sera took a sip of her drink. "Time for the Lavellan drinking game, take a sip every time she brings up being dalish or mentions the creators."

 

"Nah, my keeper thought I needed to 'see the world' a little." Dalish smiled at her. "Too many mages in one clan."

 

"Ah, I'm sorry." Adelaide shrunk a little.

 

"What about you?" Dalish countered. Adelaide perked back up at the chance to talk about her own clan.

 

"Well, Clan Lavellan is pretty well organised! We roam mostly around the Free Marches, but I asked to attend SU. I can't be the First, since I'm not a mage, but I still want to help with keeping our history. Skyhold is one of the better schools for learning about elvhen history and the dales, a course just became available this year for it, actually, and prior to that none of the classes would skim over elves like most schools tend to do. So I'm one of the few people in my clan that's attended a shem school!" She excitedly explained her situation.

 

"She's also one of the few that speak common tongue, if I'm not mistaken." Dorian chimed in.

 

"Oh, well, yeah. Our clan doesn't deal with other non-elves very often. So it's really just our Keeper, our First, and a few of our merchants that know any common. I mean, in recent years more kids are learning common, but it's still not something we actively teach them. I am just fortunate that my parents make really good gloves. So I learned how to speak common when I was relatively young." She continued to explain.

 

"She still gets twisted up with some words though, it's funny." Sera cackled, earning a stern look from her friend.

 

"Oh yeah, what kind of words?" Bull smiled and Adelaide was pretty sure she had melted into her seat.

 

"Oh all kinds of things." Sera continued. "She can't seem to remember the word husband so every married couple is just a set of wives. Then there's trenches, album, lotsa electronics. She said dick instead of disk for about five weeks."

 

That lead to a laugh from the chargers. She puffed up to defend herself. "Half of those are YOUR fault! You told me headphones were called deez nuts!"

 

The blonde practically yowled in response. "That was great! You shoulda heard her. All 'Just put deez nuts in your ears to drown out the noise'! Oh maker, that was RICH."

 

"Just wait, if you ever have to Elvish." The red head cupped her drink and frowned, sinking further into her seat.

 

"Aw, don't worry it's cute." Krem, she was pretty sure that was it, assured her. He was very handsome and sturdy looking, there was a one hundred percent chance she'd hit on him at least one before the night was done. She laughed, nervously, and turned her head. She didn't handle complements from attractive people well.

 

"You said you're just one of many construction crews? Did SU hire many?" Dorian changed the topic to his roommate's relief.

 

"Yeah, they want to get a new building put up by next year, but there's not any construction companies in Skyhold so they just hired a few from outside of the city." Bull explained.

 

"That makes sense, that there wouldn't be any here, it's not a very big city." Adelaide nodded.

 

"So, are the others working on different parts of the university? Or is it all just outside of the history building?" The mage furthered his questioning, leading his best friend suspicious as to where this was going with it.

 

"Nah, there's some working outside of the eastern wing as well." Krem replied.

 

"See, Adelaide, they're not only disrupting your classes." Dorian turned to her. She moved to say something but nothing came out other than a few angry grumbles. This was obviously revenge for having to listen her talk about Bull at length for weeks on end.

 

"Oh, are we outside your classroom?" Krem asked. "Sorry, nothing much we can do about that."

 

"It's fine!" Adelaide squeaked. At least, it was as long as she got to stare at Bull from the window. She took another sip of her drink. For courage? For courage, she would later tell herself.

 

The conversation continued for a while longer before Bull offered to get the next round of drinks for everyone. As he took orders from everyone, mostly just checking with the rest of the Chargers to make sure what he already knew was correct before turning to the trio, Adelaide looked at her friends. Sera was one drink away from slipping under the table and Dorian was already mumbling about how hard it was being a curator in such a small city. Normally, he would act as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Looked like she was going to have to be the one to make sure everyone got home and did not end up lighting the bus driver on fire or filling the cab with bees.

 

"I'll just have a water." She spoke up when Bull turned to her. Her friends cheered in response.

 

"So ressponsibrrr." Sera mumbled, placing a kiss on the other elf's cheek.

 

"Yeah, yeah." Adelaide grumbled in response, but she was smiling. Iron Bull went off to the other end of the bar along with one of the other chargers, Grim she was pretty sure she remembered correctly, to get the drinks. She practically craned her neck out to watch him leave. It was probably good that she wasn't going to get super drunk. Otherwise she'd probably be throwing herself at him before doing something really gross or embarrassing. Likely both, with her reputation.

 

"Don't break your neck, Adelaide." Dorian giggled, with Sera's sharp laughter following.

 

"Got your eye on the chef, huh?" Krem lifted his bottle to his lips and smirked at her. She watched him over the other end of the bar. His muscles were practically ripping his shirt off of his body. Her eyes traveled from his arms to his huge hands. She practically groaned at the sight of them.

 

"Creators, I want to suck his dick." She bit her lip. It was only when she heard Sera's whooping and looked to see Krem staring at her in mild surprise that she realized she had said that out loud. "Fuck! Pretend you didn't hear that!"

 

Krem and the other Chargers began laughing loudly. She saw Bull lift his head up at the bar to look over at them. "That would not be the worst confession we've heard."

 

"Oh Creators, what's the worst?" Adelaide asked, hoping to make herself feel better.

 

"Once some lady said she wanted to step on his face, with the clarification that the act would be sexual." Dalish laughed to herself.

 

"Some guy went into detail with me once about exactly he'd like sex with the chief to go down." Rockey shuttered a bit.

 

"I had a man ask me how much it cost to 'ride that' and if I knew if he was into 'inflation stuff'." Stiches put in his two cents.

 

"'He could be my daddy, any day.'" Skinner quoted.

 

"And there are may more we could tell you I'm sure." Krem assured her. Sera was practically in tears from laughing. The other two were also chuckling along. Iron Bull and Grim came back with their drinks.

 

"What are we talking about that's so funny." Iron Bull lifted a brow at them.

 

"Just all the naughty things your potential suitors have told your companions." Adelaide smiled, taking her water from him. "Thank you."

 

"Ah, you finally got some water to fix that thirst of yours, eh Lavelly?" Sera elbowed her in the ribs, earning a sharp glare in return.

 

"I'd be careful, Sera, she's in charge of whether or not you get home with all your clothes on." Dorian teased.

 

"Oh, if I'm lucky neither of us will have our clothes." Sera grinned widely, wrinkling her nose a bit.

 

"Oh I'll keep you up all night, baby." Adelaide slid her hands around Sera's waist. "And then I'll-"

 

She promptly blew a raspberry right into Sera's neck causing the blonde to erupt into giggles. This kind of behavior was common upon her close friends. She was, after all, a huge flirt and overly affectionate to nearly everyone. Even with Dorian, she'd crawl into his lap when they watched a movie or hold hands with him when they went to crowded events.

 

The two elven women separated and settled back into their proper seats, giggling the whole time.

 

"No, but please tell me more of them I think it's hilarious." Adelaide nodded to the Chargers, who then began to tell her of the numerous people attracted to Bull and all the weird things they said and did to get his attention. It, apparently, usually worked at least somewhat in their favor. Then the night slowly evolved into the two groups swapping stories about weird people hitting on them or people they knew.

 

"And ssso, that's when I told him. You've... gotta at leasst buy the piece before you get a piece." Dorian slurred.

 

"He did not say that. The buyer didn't buy any of the art but Dorian still slept with him." Adelaide clarified. Dorian whined and leaned on her shoulder. Sera was already under the table. "With that, I have to get these two back to the apartment before they enter phase three of 'Dorian and Sera get drunk'."

 

"O-ho? What is phase three?" Bull laughed. The Chargers were mostly knocked out as well, though Bull didn't look like he was intending on leaving anytime too soon.

 

"Mostly just involves Sera trying to take her clothes off and Dorian crying very, very loudly." Adelaide explained, helping her two friends up on their feet. She fixed Dorian's coat and mustache because he would kill her if he didn't look at least somewhat presentable while drunk. With Sera she just kept her from crawling back under the table. "Come on you two, we're going home."

 

"Aw, we can get home by ourselfs, you have f-fun!" Dorian put one hand on Sera's shoulder and the other on Adelaide's.

 

"No, you can not." Adelaide rolled her eyes. "It was nice talking to you. Maybe I'll see you around campus?"

 

"Oh, I'm sure you will." Bull took a sip of his beer. He had been drinking very steadily through the night but seemed only slightly more tipsy as Adelaide. "From the window, if no where else."

 

Adelaide let out a loud "HA!" before bowing her head to the rest of the chargers and scurring her friends out of the bar. Once outside she hailed a cab and the three sandwiched in the back. The way back was filled with her friends trying, and failing, not to doze off. Once they reached the apartment, she had lead Sera to the couch and Dorian to his room. And it was only when she had finished changing and crawled into her own bed at she had fully registered Bull's last words to her.

 

"Oh, fuck, he know." She whispered, pulling the sheets up.


End file.
